David W. Deeds' presentation for the 2017 Serious Play Conference. "It's Not Whether You Win Or Lose: Hits & Misses with Games-Based Learning (GBL) in K-12" examines how to (and how not to!) introduce GBL in your school. Also covers what has worked (and what hasn't!) in the classroom. Lots of geeky-cool stuff re: GBL and Gamification!

1. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose:
Hits & Misses with GBL in K-12
David W. DeedsDavid W. Deeds
2017

2. Yantai, Shandong, China
(Technology Integrator, Yew Wah
International Education School)

3. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
Introduction
• I have almost 16 years in education: 50-50
split between higher ed and K-12
• Have successfully introduced GBL in six
different countries…so far!
• Next job: Director of Information and
Learning Technologies for Schutz
American School in Alexandria, Egypt
• Today’s goals: GBL Basics, Introducing
GBL Schoolwide, What Has Worked (&
What Hasn’t) in Classrooms (Labs)
• Less text, more fun/graphics! ;)

4. GBL is fun and that’s OK! ;)

5. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
Games-Based Learning (GBL) – Goal is to
teach something while the learner is playing a
game.
Gamification – Implementing game mechanics
(e.g., winning/losing) in a non-game context
(e.g., classroom) to engage learners.
A classroom is a non-game context?? Hard
for folks to separate these concepts at times.

6. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
OK, with Minecraft(Edu) or virtual worlds,
they’re playing a game, no doubt.
But with Hour of Code or Kodu, they’re
learning programming while playing or
creating games, using a game-like interface…?
Oh, well. Let’s back up. How do you get your
school to starting using GBL (or whatever
you want to call it)?

7. You say toh-may-toh, I say…

8. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
First…stop worrying about research. Get a
real job, move out of mom’s basement, find a
girlfriend/boyfriend (maybe a virtual one?).
Those of us who actually set foot in a
classroom on a regular basis know GBL is the
best thing to happen to education since the
invention of blackboards and chalk.
Got a problem with that? Show us YOUR
research!

9. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
How to introduce GBL:
• Best to ask forgiveness vs. permission!
• Start with ICT or after-school activity
• Lead by example, word of mouth will sell it
to everybody else
• Cross-curricular/interdisciplinary: Virtual
Worlds, Minecraft(Edu)
• Also a sneaky way to get PBL started!
• Your students already know what to do,
but the Digital Native stuff is BS

10. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
How to introduce GBL (cont.):
• You’re either a Teacher or Administrator…?
• Ideally you’re (or you have) a Technology
Integrator or Coach
• Your school has computer labs and/or a
1:1/BYOD program
• Different scenarios/roles call for different
strategies/approaches
• Keep in mind that after you get it started,
(almost) everybody will see the benefits!

11. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
How NOT to introduce GBL:
• Start with administrators/proposals (worst
mistake you can make)
• Tell the dinosaurs (well, anybody) that it’s
FUN and kids will love it
• Choose a game that will cost big bucks
• Attempt to rewrite the curriculum in advance
(make it a “free pilot” instead!)
• Argue about whether it’s Games-Based
Learning or Gamification!

12. Fighting the dinosaurs for GBL!

13. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
GBL is geeky-cool because:
• Kids enjoy doing it (imagine that!)
• Enables learning from mistakes/failure in
safe (simulated) environment
• Maintains motivation via challenges,
incremental increases
• Puts into practice problem-solving
techniques (strategic thinking)
• Facilitates project management and other
real-life skills

14. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
GBL is geeky-cool because (cont.):
• Games are the ultimate equalizer, not just
playing ability, but languages, etc.
• Feedback is immediate (& individualized?)
• Keeps everybody busy, self-paced activities,
stragglers get special attention
• Tends to snowball with certain teachers and
subjects, no need to dictate or babysit
• Gets everybody thinking about edtech
expansions (VR/AR, 3D/360, etc.)

15. If you can, just GO FOR IT!

16. Hour of Code and other sites

17. Virtual Worlds

18. Let’s get this party started…

19. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
What has worked:
• Match game type with lesson goals (no
surprise, computers always best!)
• “Skeleton lesson plans” for project
differentiation, autonomy, etc.
• Balance of collaborative and individualized
projects, teamwork but independence
• Using native-language interface for ELLs
• Having older students tutor younger ones
• Relate project management to real life!

20. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
What has worked (cont.):
• Cycles, small/large, to reinforce new
skills/knowledge
• What I Know, What I Don’t and How I’m
Going to Get There charts
• Make it immersive whenever possible (why
virtual worlds are so wonderful)
• Same game across grades, challenges
differentiated (games communities)
• Projects, never tests!

21. It’s contagious!

22. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
Biggest software successes:
• Scratch from MIT (but students don’t think
it’s a game!), try Game Guru (Steam)
• Virtual Worlds: OpenSimulator, Second
Life (next: Sine Space!)
• Minecraft, esp. MinecraftEdu
• Code.org, CodeCombat, Gamestar
Mechanic, Kodu, etc.
• “Simple games” like ABCya, typing tutors
like Typing.com…lots to choose from!

23. Minecraft(Edu)

24. Kodu and other apps

25. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
What has not worked:
• Internet-required games when connections
are dodgy
• Freebie games that only go up to a certain
level and then stop
• English-only interfaces with ELLs,
complicated interfaces in general
• Assessing without special rubrics, BUT
obsessing over rubric-grade connection is
a no-no (“Like you = good grade, don’t like
you = bad grade!”)

26. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
What has not worked:
• Ignoring purpose and “shelf life,” playing
for the sake of it or for too long
• Trying to fool kids by not designating
learning games as such (vs. “pure fun”)
• Assuming, e.g., Creative mode best in
Minecraft; turns out kids collaborate most
when their motivation is FEAR OF DEATH!
• Insisting on due diligence re: design phase
• Separating by gender except for contests
• Driving kids crazy with documentation

27. Hour of Code and other sites

28. It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose
Coming up next:
• More Virtual and Augmented Reality
(VR/AR), ideally via Chromebooks!
• Blending GBL with Makerspaces and
STEAM Program
• House (?) system for computer game
competitions (maybe real-world too!)
• Ideally, using Unity and/or other game
engines to do some heavy-duty dev!
• Back to Game Guru, other Steam stuff!

29. Just more photos!

30. Just more photos!

31. Just more photos!

32. If you can’t beat (us), join (us)!

33. 2017 NMC K-12 Horizon Report
Download your free preview today!
www.nmc.org/publication/nmccosn-
horizon-report-2017-k-12-edition/

34. My Scoop.it Pages
www.scoop.it/t/3d-virtual-worlds-
educational-technology
www.scoop.it/t/integration-and-teaching-
ed-tech

35. Cartoons by Studio Jonos
Support him and
other fiverr artists:
www.fiverr.com

36. Thank you! -- 谢谢! -- ‫شكر‬!
David W. Deeds, Ph.D.
Director of Information and Learning Technologies
Schutz American School, Alexandria, Egypt
ddeeds@schutzschool.org.eg
www.schutzschool.org.eg